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Showing content with the highest reputation on 28/05/21 in all areas

  1. More show and tell, seeing as how you (Tony) like to see folks making things - even if, in this case, it's a commission. More pics on the layout thread concerned:
    39 points
  2. Rapido Trains is pleased to announce the introduction of two completely new wagon models. The most numerous wagon built by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway was a rugged design of 7 plank open wagons built on a standardised steel underframe. Over 2000 wagons of this design were built between 1915 and 1927 with large numbers surviving into British Railways service. During this time, the only design change was the addition of a sheet rail to the Southern Railway built wagons at the time of construction. This all-new model will feature a separately fitted sheet rail to allow both SECR and SR built examples to be modelled. To complement the seven plank wagon an all new five plank wagon will also be offered. A total of 550 diagram 1347 wagons were built by the SECR and SR. Although classed as “rebuilds” only the wheelsets and buffers were reused from older wagons– these being coupled to the standard chassis used on the seven plank wagons. A further 150 wagons were also built to the near-identical diagram 1349. These wagons featured self-contained buffers which Rapido will produce as separately fitted parts to allow both the diagram 1347 and 1349 wagons to be produced. Due to their relatively modern design both wagon types survived into British Railways service finding their way across large parts of the railway network. Prototype Factfile – Diagram 1347 and 1349 Five Planks Built: Diagram 1347 – 550 Wagons Diagram 1349 – 150 Wagons How long did they last? Wagons were built in batches by the SECR and its contractors from 1920 with the Southern Railway building further batches in the mid-1920s. Wagons of both types survived into the 1950s with a small number making it into the early 1960s. Where did they work? Wagons could be found running all over the SECR network in the South East. Photographs also show wagons working further afield in locations like Stratford, Carlisle and even Renfrew near Glasgow! Can I see one? One diagram 1347 wagon, No.12522 survives in operational condition on the Severn Valley Railway. No.50899 can also be seen on the Bluebell Railway. Prototype Factfile – Diagram 1355 Seven Planks e Built: 2121 Wagons How long did they last? The first prototype wagon was built in 1915 to test the new steel underframe. Further batches of these wagons were built between 1919 and 1927 by the SECR and SR. Over 70 wagons of this type survived into BR service into the 1960s whilst the last survived into the 1970s. Several were sold into private usage including a number with the Port of Bristol Authority. Where did they work? Wagons could be found running all over the SECR network in the South East. Photographs also show wagons working further afield in locations like Offord & Buckden, various locations on the GWR network and even Renfrew near Glasgow! Can I see one? Three diagram 1355 wagons can be seen at the Bluebell Railway. Specification: Injection Moulded construction High level of detail above and below the floor line. NEM coupler pockets Separately fitted buffers to allow for production of the Diagram 1347 and 1349 five plank wagons Separately fitted sheet rails to allow for SECR and SR built batches of the Diagram 1355 7 plank wagons Correct split-spoked wheels running in metal bearings For more information and to pre-order yours today visit www.rapidotrains.co.uk or speak to any of our Official Retailers. The orderbook will close on the 1st September 2021 with production following soon after with an anticipated delivery in early 2022. Sample artwork is below.
    37 points
  3. Well I've finally got this (below) little monkey off my back. I started the new chassis for it in September and being an old Wills kit, the body also needed a fair bit of surgery. By the end of October I had produced a smooth running, no cylinders sprung 0-6-0 chassis and then..... it all went a bit haywire. I should say I went a bit haywire. With the cylinders tacked in place, no matter how I looked at it I couldn't see how I would get the clearances for EM and in normal circumstances, I simply persevere to find solutions to these type of problems. But suddenly I found my motivation - and my confidence - had disappeared and in fact I completely lost interest in modelling. I seriously thought that it would never get finished. This situation lasted several months but in February and March, I started picking up and got back into the groove by doing some scenery and a couple of sprung O4 chassis, one for a Ks kit (63729) and one for a rejigged Bachmann (63829). Finally, after that I thought 'OK, I'm ready to tackle this.' Quite a bit of head scratching and fettling of parts later et voilà! I have to say it's been uphill pretty well all the way. After I got it running, I spent a week trying to figure out why I was getting a short circuit on one part of the layout. It turned out to be 2 culprits, the front pony and the brake hanger base on the middle driving axle. I am quite pleased with it as it was the first outside cylinder and valve gear engine I built in OO about 40 years ago and although it has a number of inaccuracies (mainly the cab but also the tender), it's a loco that I'm very fond of. The prototype was a Colwick engine from 1950 until it was withdrawn in 1961 but it did get around. I have a photo of it (somewhere) in the mid 1950s on a Cambridge Buffet express to Kings Cross. I'll post a video of the model in action later....
    30 points
  4. Rail drop in beaconsfield last night my loco in bescot before moving it over to the train, 66728 Then it was away to the drop site, 10 rails dropped and changed ends to head back waiting in Wycombe for the possession to be lifted, 66777 on the rear, now the lead loco This sign was discovered under an advertising hoarding back in about 2012 and has been restored and left on display with the words ‘formally’ added to it as the line to Marlow is no longer there And this is the lesser photographed opposite side of it, an enamel sign And eventually back into bescot at 07:30 short job tonight, bescot to rugby as an aside for those interested in my weight loss ‘journey’ I’ve now lost 2 1/2 Stone but more importantly my diabeties blood sugar level has gone from a dangerous 76 down to a 43, the safe level is anything below 47 so 3 months of my lifestyle change has totally reversed the problem, this afternoon I’m off to Halfords to collect my new electric assist bike that I’ve got on the cycle to work scheme so I’ll be using that to get to and from the station when the weather is good
    29 points
  5. As promised, here is K3 61833 on her first public run on a down Burton goods whilst J39/1 crosses on an up Burton.
    28 points
  6. It was twenty five years ago tomorrow that I visited Gascoigne Wood and Hagg Lane level crossing and spent a long time there watching and taking photos of the trains I saw. Gascoigne Wood 56066 down empties 29th May 96 C20940.jpg Gascoigne Wood 59205 up coal 29th May 96 C20942.jpg Gascoigne Wood Class 155 down 29th May 96 C20951.jpg Hagg Lane level crossing 155346 Leeds to Hull 29th May 96 C20943.jpg Hagg Lane level crossing 37706 down oil 29th May 96 C20945.jpg David
    27 points
  7. I made a good start on St Enodoc Down end tracks today. First, I cut the existing tracks back, and cleaned away the old ballast, so that I didn't have to worry about aligning the new track at the baseboard join. Because the station boards are now fixed permanently in place, crossing the join with a continuous piece of track doesn't matter (I've already done it at the Up end with a point as well). You can just see the old droppers too, which I will reuse. The pencil line at the bottom marks where the road overbridge will go. Next, I laid the Down Main track. I started with this for two reasons. First, it is on a 30" radius curve for which I have a Tracksetta. Secondly, It has to fit between two fixed points so was likely to be more fiddly than the others (which turned out to be true). You can see both sides of the overbridge here and in the next photo. After that, I laid the Up Main and the Loop, each in two stages, The first stage was from the station to the far end of the short length of straight track and the second was the reverse curve from there to the point. Not having to wrangle a whole length of track with the reverse curve and the straight part in the middle made life much simpler. The Loop was located using the Proses parallel track spacers. I think the short lengths of straight track on each line show up quite clearly. Finally, I laid some copperclad timbers and sleepers to fill the gaps between the heels of the points. I set these out by eye but I think they look all right. The long timbers will give plenty of support to the passenger lines, while the sleepers will be good enough for the more lightly-laid china-clay branch. I'll add the rails once the glue has dried (remembering that I'll need two more isolating gaps!).
    27 points
  8. I think the hobby is bulging with 'returnees' right now. Those, as has been suggested, have come through the perils of life - job, marriage, mortgage, kids, divorce, poverty, etc! Now, into retirement they're looking for a hobby, and railway modelling attracts. It's especially attractive given the quality (and exceptionally good value) of what's offered 'out of the box' right now. As has also been mentioned, there are members joining clubs for whom the 'perils' have only just started. And, there always have been (and always will be?) new generations (or half generations) who take up the 'torch' as the older gits (we're all 'gits') either become too infirm or expire. From my observations of late, I've come up with the following thoughts.............. 1. We've never had it so good. Yes, I know there have been issues regarding some new models of later, but a full-blown LNER Pacific in full regalia in OO for £170.99 (Kernow, latest RM)! 2. Many suppliers of kits/bits have had their best year ever! Which rather means that there'll be even more kits to 'dispose' of once the buyers expire.............. 3. Investment in new kits (particularly 4mm locos) has slowed down considerably (I used to get a new one every couple of months to build and review). That said, the re-emergence of Nu-Cast is encouraging (my review of the K2 is in the August BRM). However, the likes of DJH hasn't produced a new 4mm loco kit for nearly 20 years now. 4. The average age of most clubs' membership has never been higher. 5. Prior to three years ago, I've never heard of a club show ceasing to exist because its membership were all too old/infirm to stage it any more. 6. Though I've done it (with Mo's help) for several years, the number of examples where we're asked to find new homes for model railway items on behalf of families, either because the (usually) husband/father/bloke has died or is too ill to carry on modelling (I have five boxes of stuff in my shed of such stuff, will collect more on Sunday, have to travel to see a widow in the near future and am expecting a hefty parcel today), has never been greater. 7. The average age of punters at shows (particularly O Gauge) has never been higher (and, as shows return, it'll be even higher). 8. The last 'trainspotting generation' (the schoolboys I taught in the '70s/early-'80s) is now approaching retirement, and, thus, an interest in BR blue in model form is probably going to increase as its members relive their youth in miniature (just as I'm doing, but a generation earlier, and with steam-outline). After that? There haven't been schoolboy trainspotters on platform ends for a long, long time now in my experience. Yes, there are trainspotters, who once were schoolboys, but, hmnn............. That's not to say all trainspotters become (serious?) railway modellers in later life, but tens of thousands did. That's also not to say that one must have been a trainspotter to be a 'serious' railway modeller, but the link between the two hobbies has always been very strong. A link now broken in more-recent years. In another generation, the interest will be very, very little. 9. I'm still being asked by RTR manufacturers to assist (in a small way) with the development of new models. As is the case with some kit-makers, which is encouraging. 10. Do I care what happens? I suppose so, but as long as I'm stocked up with enough kits to build, have enough solder and flux (I've used 'tons' and 'gallons' respectively in the last 12 months or so!) and still have enough friends who want to visit and operate Little Bytham, then I'm all right Jack!
    26 points
  9. As has been said....back to Little Muddle. I have collating the pictures taken by a group of train spotters who where present when Bradley Manor steamed into view! They where in various locations along the line, by the derelict barn, creamery water tower and branch track. I've had a chat with them all and they have agreed to supply me on an occasional basis pictures of train movements on the main line. That should be interesting, least it will save me having to take and edit any pictures!
    23 points
  10. Well, truly GN's cup doth runneth over today because here are my Ta-Daa! pictures for the now complete signals: Slightly tricky lighting conditions as I set them against a white background so as not to lose any detail. In practice, they are somewhat darker than this with the weathered finish applied. And just to prove they work ... First picture is a nonsense in terms of aspects showing but just emphasise the mechanism. Just grabbed a handy loco to give the impression of scale. Look forward to fixing up a visit now to get them installed.
    22 points
  11. I have lost the sweepstake on such a comment, I had less than 2 hours... Just the N gauge request to go now.... anyone?
    22 points
  12. That 9F needed to get out of the way quickly, as the Talisman was due next. Gateshead have turned out an A1, rather than the usual A4, and as always with this headboard, it manages to move off centre.
    21 points
  13. Austerity 2-8-0, no.90125 coasts by on a down goods. The loco would later disgrace itself during a trial run on the Somerset & Dorset. Needless to say the class was never trialed again.
    21 points
  14. Sorry for lack of progress updates recently, had domestic jobs to deal with, but body detailing is ongoing; The castings are very good on the whole, but I'm not sure about the proportions of the chimney The intended loco is No.258, one of the original 1894 batch (257-266). These have some detail differences from the later locos, noticably the splashers. They have rounded tops at the front, (the later locos have a square edge) and curved beading where the later ones were plain. Also, as far as i can see, only the earlier locos had the short horizontal handrail on the cabside. Lifting eyes have been added to the tanks-tops. The roof is as supplied in the kit, without the distinctive vertical ribs. I will probably replace it, with one built in the same was as for the 0395. (When a new supply of brass angle arrives from Eileens) The roof, by the way, is just resting in place, if you're wondering why its out of position. Right-Angles of waste etch have been added behind the footsteps to brace them, and filed back to clear the coupling-rods
    18 points
  15. So, the "how I did this" for Car 106... It's probably easier if I explain using these two photos Gilbert has taken, since I didn't take any of my own! The structural integrity of this car was untouched, with just two suitably sized inserts of plasticard to slot in where necessary. My plan was basically to give me as little work to do in the paint matching department; ie: just the cream and then the resulting lining! Hornby's shade of "umber" is still a mystery to me and I suspect always will be! Cutting out the sections I didn't need needed a great deal of care; when you're left with just a vestige of the window frame either side, you need to make sure that the new blank fits snugly and needs no filler adding either side. In both instances, a new oval window was required. Using the offcut of the one taken out from the kitchen side, I traced round the oval inside on the plasticard, once all was fixed in place, before chain-drilling a load of holes and filing it all out to shape. On the non kitchen side (above), the oval window is a plain affair, without any of the extra framework like the toilet window on the far left. I basically filed up the window from a redundant piece of glazing left over from a previous car. Once it was the right size, it was fitted in place (after painting!) The kitchen side (above) was much the same, though had a change of passenger window to give it curtains. I also added a table, cut from a spare interior. The cream took a bit of working out. In the end, I used Pullman cream, with a bit of Humbrol "trainer yellow" (24) mixed in to match the rather more yellowy shade used by Hornby. A couple of coats of Johnson's Klear were added next, before transfers used for the lining (HMRS) were added. It's certainly nice to see a different vehicle in the consist though. Something I've always liked, personally, about Pullman cars is their sheer variety.
    17 points
  16. Just finished a (very) little side project. A Neilson "Jumbo" 0-4-0 ST from the Beckton Gas Works stud. An un-powered model with the books that inspired me.
    17 points
  17. Hi Graeme It is interesting who and why they model the period they do. I know many members of DEMU who model very modern railways and despite being older than me and trainspotting and/or traveling behind steam have no interest in steam. Conversely there are many modellers who are younger than me who model more historical railways. I fall into that group who model what they saw as a kid, stuff from before I was a trainspotter. Who are we to say what someone should be modelling, and how they enjoy their model railways. The guy who buys a red engine this month because last month he bought a blue one is as much a railway modeller as the bloke who winds his own motors and turns his own wheels if both are enjoying what they do. It is a hobby for enjoyment after all.
    16 points
  18. I think we're there ....
    15 points
  19. One has to be careful about using the oven as higher authorities tend to have a right of eminent domain. When I dismantled Long Preston, I recovered as much of the limestone ballast as possible for reuse. This needed washing to remove the PVA so it was then spread out to dry on baking trays and put in the spare bedroom. Unfortunately the cats got in and thought it was cat litter. In my naivety I tried to dry it in the oven. The stench was appalling. It all needed washing and drying again. Fortunately for me Beth was away for the week and I'd managed to eradicate the smell before she got home. Jamie
    15 points
  20. I have one in my workshop. It's called paint. Every time I paint something, even if I clean up first, assiduously make sure the model is devoid of all contamination and take all sorts of other precautions there are generally some particles that find their way onto the freshly painted surface. Mind you, I hate painting at the best of times and if I announce that I'm going to be spraying a model, Jill tries to make sure she's out. It's not unknown for me to strip and repaint a model twice. My greatest disaster was when I had sprayed a tender and as was my usual practice had put it in the oven at a very low temperature of about 70 degrees for a couple of hours (enamel paint). Unfortunately the oven thermostat failed and two hours later I found an intensely hot oven containing a kit of parts with a firmly baked on dark brown glaze lying on the shelf, so goodness knows what temperature it had reached. I think that my sons learned some funny words from Dad that day. That was one of those occasions when the thought of taking up stamp collecting came to mind. Dave
    15 points
  21. A few bits inside the Sockport boxes..
    15 points
  22. Hope this will be of interest to fans of Stanier's finest:
    14 points
  23. Gilbert, It’s good to see Tim’s take on Car 106. Cars 105/6/7 were more or less identical and were ECML regulars throughout the 1950s. I think that at least one of them is essential for a true depiction of ECML Pullman services. They were quite different to the standard/Hornby style wooden cars. I chose to model the other two, cars 105 and 107. I hope you don’t mind me showing them on here to compare and contract with your Car 106. Car 107 was my first attempt at creating a non standard Pullman and as I didn’t want to cut into a super detail vesionI used the Railroad version. This was less work on the sides as these three wooden cars were more similar to the later steel cars in window arrangements. However there was much more work on the roof and underframe. Having gained confidence with the Railroad Pullmans, I tackled Car 105 from a couple of Hornby wooden super detail cars. This would be my recommended route should anyone else fancy taking on the challenge. Both were finished of with the excellent Precision labels from John Peck which helps hide the joins on the Umber portion. My execution is not up to Tim’s standards but they were an enjoyable build and I’m pleased with the results as layout coaches. I think this makes a good cut ‘n’ shut project for someone new to the idea. Regards Andy
    14 points
  24. The 64xx looks like its going to set back, but there seems to be a delay.
    14 points
  25. Of course, if you're going to paint the inside, you have to leave the door open. If you leave the door open, you have to add the ledge and brace to the inside. The hinges are on the right from the inside, so the brace runs from the top of the closing side, to the bottom of the hinge side.
    14 points
  26. The evening draws on, and another 9F emerges from the yards, and sets off for London.
    14 points
  27. Still suffering from a bad back with lots of trapped nerves. Plenty of time unfortunately to think what has happened. No startling revelations, no insider information but just thoughts. For as long as l can remember, Hornby have never had a Back 2 Back ordering system for trade customers. I seem to recall when we first opened one did exist. Hopefully some retailers will remember. The current system of announcements in January. We get a preview of the new items about half an hour before Andy Y puts them on here. We then jump onto here and can see all the details with R numbers etc. In previous pre Covid years we could and would travel to Margate to see them in the flesh. This could be over a period of a few days depending on how many retailers were attending. Ordering was through our rep and he would go away with a whole bunch of papers. Airfix, Hornby, Scalextric, Humbrol and Corgi. I presume at the end of the week he would have seen al his customers and had order forms from non attendees sent to him. These order forms were huge as they contained every single item on them sold by Hornby. Presumably they were then entered into an order system. Then we would wait....... well you know what would happen, you would wait too. January 2020, Centenary Year. Not only did Hornby make announcements but they even said a lot of stock would be delivered that same year. Uhh, no way, better get our orders in. Now using my imagination. We put our orders in, via email using these huge forms Hornby have. I have just looked at one and there appears to be over 1200 lines just on the Hornby Railways form. Every retailer sends one of these forms. They then land on the sales assistants desks and they input the information into a computer. That’s how it seems to work. I presume then and only then can they see that 1,947 Flying 66’s have been ordered. Now work out who gets what. How many did we make? Then we get get an email confirmation of what we have ordered, if we can actually remember what we ordered. Phil Parker has mentioned today that Hornby will soon be making their plans for the 2023 range. Logic says that 2020 may have been even earlier due to Centenary items. But this years releases would have been 2018. Had Hornby or any other manufacturer foreseen a pandemic that would see us spending our beer, cinema, sports, restaurant money on our hobby they might have made more. Anyone asleep yet? We can order off a number of suppliers using B2B and if l order 10 items and there is only nine available it will tell me. That B2B System immediately tells our suppliers what we have ordered. Not so with Hornby in my opinion due to the manual entry system. The B2B system would at least tell Hornby what volume has sold. What it wouldn’t stop is one retailer ordered 2,000 and taking the lot. Hornby would still need to have an allocation policy to ensure as many retailers as possible got some stock. Some companies would just sell the lot to the first buyer and announce that everything was sold out. Thanks for reading this if you have got this far, look forward to either being agreed with laughed out of the forum. Always good to end on some sort of realisation. Is it actually a ‘Computer Error’?
    14 points
  28. Authentic opens are a rarity in RTR, so this is a big tick in a big box.
    13 points
  29. Brassmasters state quite clearly that it is a hobby business and that they do not run an on line shop and that they do not have a business phone number. They also use a PO box and as is quite a common practice such addresses are only visited at intervals. i would not say that it has become to big to manage, rather that it is doing what it says on the tin and is being run as a hobby that just happens to provide items to the general public. I would not call delays of a few weeks that happen from time to times problems. In the current situation we no not what is going on in the real world of the owner. I have always found them to be very helpful and able to provide parts that are not available elsewhere at a very good price. Far cheaper than if the full cost recovery if business premises were used full time. The free information on the web site is worth a hefty annual fee. I would say scenario or situation rather than problems in your last line. it is so easy for people to moan who never make any thing. Without Brassmasters the hobby would be very much worse off. Bernard
    13 points
  30. And time for a pic for those who like them. 37012 Having its checks before departure from Bench Road.
    13 points
  31. A quick pic to show that I'm still busy.
    13 points
  32. Evening all, Jab was had, the only side affect so far is pain in my upper left arm. My room had most of the brass shavings removed, but the big work comes tomorrow, as today, I made a boiler. Almost. I ended up deciding to turn my scratch built gauge 1 4-4-0 into a pot boilered live steamer. The boiler is copper and 1 inch in diameter, and has reassuringly thick brass plates soldered on each end. One is the spectacle plate, the other is a profiled smokebox plate. Underneath the boiler will be an area for 1.5 Esbit tablets to go, which will provide the fire. Or I may burn hand sanitizer. The steam will then travel through a steam pipe (yet to be installed) to a valve and a proper displacement lubricator, before entering a 1950s Stuart Turner ST oscillating engine. This will be geared or chain driven on the rear axle. Currently it’s progressing quite well, but I have run out of solder after several failed attempts to solder on the safety valve bushing. I didn’t get that soldered in today as I had the heat in the wrong place. Wheels will be coming from Walsall model industries once I get them ordered. Douglas
    12 points
  33. I have collated our messages and have passed them on. Hopefully Gordon will be reading them soon. Gordon remains in the ICU but has started to take a little solid food. Beag air bheag
    12 points
  34. A clear roof so that the signalman can do some star-gazing while he contemplates the next movement?
    11 points
  35. As a sneak preview of my upcoming wheeltappers thread "For those interested in rabbits that look like politicians" here's Boris Johnson.
    11 points
  36. The first train to make it all the way through the junction has made it's journey tonight from one temporary fiddle yard to the other...
    11 points
  37. All the excitement of the Rapido 5/7 plank SECR/SR wagons announcement but what might have been missed by some was the EP's of their forthcoming GPV.
    10 points
  38. Earlier this year we had a discussion about Burton beer cask sizes, Burton beer being a staple traffic on the Midland. I said I'd made an enquiry of the National Brewery Centre; I've just had a reply back from their collections officer, Vanessa Winstone, with a copy of what in railway terms would be a "diagram" - simple dimensioned sketches of the casks used by Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd. It's undated but presumably pre-dates the 1927 merger of Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton with Worthington, after which the firm was Bass & Worthington, if I have understood Grace's Guide correctly. Anyway, we have: Barrel: 36 gal, 117 lb empty, 477 lb full; height 2'8¼", waist diameter 2'1¾", end diameter 1'9¼" (all external dimensions). Hogshead: 54 gal, 152 lb empty, 692 lb full; height 3'1½", waist 2'4½", end 1'11¼". Butt: 108 gal, 234 lb empty, 1314 lb full; height 4'4", waist 2'9", end 2'2¼". A Midland D299 8 ton high side wagon has internal dimensions 14'0" x 7'0" x 2'10¾" deep. Therefore, if one sees a D299 with beer casks loaded upright just below the top of the sides, they're barrels but if they stick up above the sides by a whisker, they're hogsheads. There could be 18 barrels in a wagon, three rows of six, but only 17 hogsheads, arranged 6-5-6 with a bit of jostling. Weight of the latter, when full, would be around 5¼ tons. For completeness, the smaller sizes: Half-Hogshead: 27 gal, 100 lb empty, 370 lb full; height 2'5½", waist 2'0½", end 1'7½". Kilderkin: 18 gal, 74 lb empty, 256 lb full; height 2'1⅜", waist 1'10", end 1'5¼". Firkin: 9 gal, 42 lb empty, 132 lb full; height 1'9", waist 1'5¼", end 1'2". Pin: 4½ gal, 27 lb empty, 65 lb full; height 1'5", waist 1'2", end 11½".
    10 points
  39. B2X tender is well on its way - initially in 4mm but soon in 7mm [together with a 7mm C3]. This is the 4mm tender tank and water filler:
    10 points
  40. Reminds me of what Fred Dibnah said in one of his episodes, "When I die, if I go to the right place all I want is some tools, a lathe, selection of hammers and an endless supply of old rusty traction engines to restore". I've finished the main construction works of my mine branch line to the sky and got trains running, seven cars max at a time, and run VERY slow due to curvature, gradient and height. I'm very pleased with the results, bridgework detail and the actual mine loader still to do. Now this last bridge was a challenge. Built on a sharp curve on a cliff edge directly over a bit of narrow gauge line. I took my inspiration from the prototype, Imagination was required to get the railroads through the Rocky mountains. (and a root through my plastic bits scrap box). DRGW Royal Gorge hanging bridge - still there and now a preserved line. Such a great hobby is ours whatever you model. Brit15
    10 points
  41. Well I'm still below the age that used to mark statutory retirement and I can assure you that blue diesel modelling has absolutely no appeal for me, along with anything even more modern. I find BR steam modelling a bizarre prevalent trend too, as for me that era represents neglect, decline and fall. Any time pre-1939 is the era of real appeal, which is clearly too long ago to be modelled from my memory or for the purposes of trying to re-live my youth, and I'm far from alone in my interest in truly historic modelling. I have a slight interest in vintage electrics too, probably because they are unusual. Some of those with similar interests are certainly younger than me, so I imagine that their route into the hobby was in some ways similar to mine, being nothing to do re-living memories but instead being based on an urge to re-create something they never had the chance to see. I'm afraid that I tend to regard "modelling" that relies largely on RTR blue boxes-on-wheels with noise-making devices, running on non-scale track, as being about as mature /sensible /serious for an older person as for instance the the purchase of a car with huge wheel arch extensions, go-faster stripes, whale-tail spoiler and annoyingly loud exhaust.
    10 points
  42. 33012 Having its final checks before departing Bench Road.
    10 points
  43. I'll let you into a secret: For years, I had a long-running serial bedtime story, initially for my son, latterly for youngest daughter, which revolved around the adventures of "King Rat of the Moon", based heavily on BJ, and "The Old Majick Squirrel", based on Sir Peter Hendy. In brief, King Rat is a benignly dim and incredibly lazy character, who grew-up as an ordinary London rat, with delusions of grandeur, believing himself to be a king by rights. He found that the only place that didn't already have a royal dynasty, and wasn't a republic, was the moon, so settled there, in the castle abandoned by the giant of "Jack and the Beanstalk" fame, to rule over that otherwise deserted satellite. The squirrel is the clever one, a sort of alchemist, who does all the practical work and saves the day when the rat creates untold havoc with his blunders . There are lots of other characters, including a stereotypically Aussie koala, but no rabbits, I'm afraid.
    10 points
  44. But (Tony), my bet is that your 'clique' (in terms of the members of the club you 'grew up' with) are all roughly the same age. So, 20 years ago, of course you were all around 50! I agree with Chamby - there are plenty of other 'cliques' following on behind you. Blokes (mainly) who get to know each other in their 50s post-kids / mortgage (outrageous over generalisation!). Take 'Team Grantham'. It occurs to me that the core of the team are - with a couple of exceptions - all within a few years of being the same age. That means that we all naturally relate to each other because we all grew up with the same influences around us. Music, sport, tele, politics, cars - doesn't matter, the point is that when one person cracks a joke or makes a reference to something from 30 odd years ago we all say 'yeah, I remember that!'. The modelling just flows around those sort of common bonds and we gradually create our own culture based on the adventures we've been through, whether that be surviving freezing cold conditions at Barrow Hill, certain locos that attempt to redefine the loading gauge or boasting about our P2 locomotives by referring to the first part of the name of the prototype ... I'll wager it is / was the same with the groups you've been part of. You've grown up together and becoming owd gits together ... but that doesn't mean there's no-one left to carry on the hobby.
    10 points
  45. Barry's post seems to sum up the current position perfectly. Looking at the comments on this thread, there is no perfect solution to keep everyone happy and no amount of discussion is going to find one. The thread is now so far off topic and heading in so many tangents, I think it's time to either clean it up or lock it. Since cleaning would require dozens of off topic post to be removed, I'll lock it so they are preserved for posterity. If anything material changes, we can reopen it.
    10 points
  46. I've spent another day on the layout today. Frustratingly the two sections I delivered don't fit properly, something that can happen when you're building them away from the layout however carefully you think you've measured everything. I've left them to sort out next week. This gives an idea of how it will look, but I've got to reduce the width of the signal box by 8mm as I didn't allow for the thickness of the yellow brick wall when I drew the template. The idea of modelling the whole thing on a sheet of Aluminium works very well though. As I wasn't in the right frame of mind to do that today I have completed the area around the hotel and the grass bank between Leeman Road and the river. finally bringing all that area together. A lot of people don't realise that there was only one car in York in 1958! It's amazing how much better the hotel looks with the area around it modelled. It can still be lifted out if necessary. We decided that a simple grass bank was all that was needed here. i laid in the basic contours using sheets of black card glued in place with a hot glue gun, and then added the grass using a horrible bright green mat which was all I could get. All is not lost! The grass mat is just the undercoat; I sprayed it with Photomount and sprinkled on various colours and lengths of static grass, just using my fingers. I'll complete the road on my next visit. I even remembered to dust the river! I'll be going back on Monday and between now and then there are lots of small jobs to complete for the layout. Peter
    10 points
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